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35mm Lux vs lux fle


tatetate

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I have and use the 35 Lux Asph. model right before the FLE. 

I shot both for a day before I made my choice and I quite honestly didn't notice any difference in comparing the shots I took.

 

Did you say you have 35mm lux asph and u tried lux asph fle?

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I have all three 35 Summilux Asph's - the 11873 (Aspherical), 11874 (ASPH), and the 11663 (ASPH FLE).

 

First of all, the latest edition, the 11663, is a modern Leica lens - technically perfect, with a floating lens element to supposedly compensate for any focus shifts, and the colors, contrasts, edge to edge sharpness, and non-flaring glass, all designed by Karbe to be as close to perfect as possible for the digital sensor and for any pixel peeping.  It is a super reliable, attach to your camera and forget, lens.  The pictures will wow you with their clarity and three dimensionality and the colors are really nice.  The limit will be you and your color balanced, 4K computer screen and your computer's graphics card.

 

The previous version, the 11874, I have had for almost 20 years and know it best.  I still remember my first slide film shots, projected with a Leica projector on a silver screen.  I was a Kodachrome 64 person and not a Ektachrome nor a Fuji film person - perhaps because I like the warmness of the Kodachrome the best.   When I first took photographs, I took mainly B&W print film because it was cheaper to develop and print it myself in the school darkroom.  I used color print film when developing and processing got cheaper but the quality was always horrible.  I reserved color slide film, because of the expense and the fact that you had to send Kodachrome off to be processed for almost 2-3 weeks, for special occasions - but it was worth it and I wished I had used it more because those Kodachrome slides are still perfect.  But, I digress.  Back to the 11874 lens, I never observed any focus shifts - after the relatively cheap projector lens, not 100% perpendicular projector screen, dubious project light bulb, or even on todays computer screens.  On the computer screen, there are some differences in edge to edge sharpness between the two lenses with the 11874 being less sharp further away from the center - but I find this endearing.  And, there is a difference between the two in color, especially under artificial lighting - it is quite rare to find incandescent or tungsten lighting nowadays - but if there is warm lighting, whether warm compact flourescent or LED, I like the color profile of this 11874 more.  If is indoors or outdoor evenings with a cooler, bluer light, I like the 11874 more.  If it is the outdoors during the day, I think the 11663 is perfect.  If it is the morning golden hours, any lens would do.  It would also depend what your lattitude is.  But, I know you could adjust all that in LR, but I am not an expert in LR.

 

Lastly, the 11873 Aspherical lens.  I would like to say it is the best of three and that there is a world of difference between the three - but I can not.  I have had it for less than year and am still learning it.  But so far, its color profile is closer to the 11874 than the 11663.  It has more central area sharpness than the 11874 but less than the 11663.  Probably kind of like the 1.2, 1.0 (which version), and the 0.95 Noctiluxes.  I think an equally fun study would be between the various versions of the 35 or 50 Summicrons or even the 50  Summiluxes Asph and non-Asphs....

 

Cheers.

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I owned the pre-FLE but got sick of the focus-shift, YMMV. Now I am utterly pleased with my FLE, especially when I come home because all the results are every time much much better than expected, this surpriseparty is more so than with any other lens I own and have owned. 

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I owned the pre-FLE but got sick of the focus-shift, YMMV. Now I am utterly pleased with my FLE, especially when I come home because all the results are every time much much better than expected, this surpriseparty is more so than with any other lens I own and have owned. 

 

Precisely my experience; the 35mm FLE exceeds my expectations nearly every time I use it.

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I have the non-FLE version and while it does have some focus shift on my M240, I find it is not that big of a deal to throw the focus a bit to compensate, much easier than the Zeiss ZM 50mm 1.5.

 

I shot about 5,000 frames through my M240 on a 10 day job that ended yesterday and the 35 was just gorgeous, focus very smooth and fast. On the note of focus, every 35 FLE I have handled has been not as smooth if a little stiff, like a new 50 asph that has not been broken in yet.

 

I am considering getting the FLE for all the improvements but wonder if there are versions that have good focus action, I felt the ones I used would slow me down too much.

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@ Ai_Print:

Of course on an M with liveview the focusshift is a little less problematic, not for street photography however. But anyway street photography can be done better with nothing faster than Summicron IMO

I do not recognize stiff focussing with the FLE. I use it most intensively in warm countries but even at home in colder seasons I never experienced this

Edited by otto.f
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@ Ai_Print:

Of course on an M with liveview the focusshift is a little less problematic, not for street photography however. But anyway street photography can be done better with nothing faster than Summicron IMO

I do not recognize stiff focussing with the FLE. I use it most intensively in warm countries but even at home in colder seasons I never experienced this

 

I don't use live view and most of the 5,000 images I shot on this paid assignment were considered reportage / street, maybe a dozen are out. I'll consult my contacts at Leica regarding the FLE compared to the non and see what they say.

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I got two frames off at 2.8 before he looked away, it gets to be an instinct, RF camera and lenses are quirky that way.

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Hmm Interesting, dont want to hijack my very own thread at all but how would we compare new zeiss distagon 35mm 1.4 with Lux FLE

 

The Zeiss is better, technically (flatter field, sharper other than centre wide open, even less focus shift) but it is bulkier.  It is also half the price of the FLE.

 

Since the main attraction of the system is the compactness of the lenses, some will still prefer the FLE.

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